interesting. Tell me, then, where do I rank, in your estimation?"
"You? Well, that's what I wanted to discuss with you."
"I am eager to hear your opinion on the matter. Would you have me be more of a conversationalist like my cousin, or should I do better as a man of action?"
He was standing very close to her now and it was oddly difficult to breathe. She tried to raise her eyes up to meet his, but somehow her gaze remained stuck on the broad expanse of his chest and the powerful spread of his shoulders. He'd abandoned the full black attire she'd been used to seeing him in and today he wore crisp white linen, his cravat tied in a careless knot just below his chin. His chin... yes, she could get her eyes up to his chin and appreciate the firm set of his jaw, the amused quirk to his lips. Indeed, the man hardly needed to rely on conversation to highlight his appeal.
Action . Of course. That's what was needed where Miss Vandenhoff was concerned. Time was of the essence and clearly conversation was not the man's forte. He should simply sweep the heiress off her feet and have done with it. He must know how to do that, mustn't he?
"Conversation can only go so far, don't you think? Surely by now it is time for action, my lord."
Could it be possible that he was even closer to her now? She could feel the sun's heat radiating off of him. His eyes still sparked, but this time it was the smolder of dancing embers she saw in them. And they drew her. Where she hadn't been able to meet them before, now that she did she was held there, her gaze captured by his and perfectly content to remain there.
Too late, she realized his eyes weren't the only thing holding her. Somehow his hands had come up to touch her, to rest on her shoulders and bring her slowly toward him. She blinked, but that did nothing to break the spell she was under. The rest of the world suddenly seemed very, very far away and she was only aware of him.
"How about this action?" he asked softly, trailing his fingers over her shoulder, along her collar bone, and up to her cheek where he brushed her skin gently.
Her voice was hopelessly gone so she merely nodded. By heavens, if he were to do this to Miss Vandenhoff it would most certainly work in his favor!
"And perhaps even this?" he said, pressing her close against him as he stroked her lightly at the nape of her neck.
Oh, but she liked that. Of course she shouldn't like it, yet there was no denying that she did. The man might be an utter failure at conversation, but he certainly did know a thing or two about action. Her dratted eyelids seemed to forget that now was probably not the best time for her to be taking lessons from him. They drooped involuntarily, falling entirely shut as he pulled her tighter against his broad, heated body.
"And this?" he murmured.
First she felt his warm breath against her face, and then his lips touched hers. Sparks like tiny tingles of lightning flashed inside of her. They shot through her limbs, igniting her nerves and prickling outward through her skin. Her knees sagged and she wrapped her arms around the earl to keep herself from crumbling. Also, to keep him from ending this before she could fully comprehend what it was.
His lips brushed hers. She waited there, motionless, willing her eyes to open but happy they did not so she could concentrate fully on the man's lips. They gave merely a tentative nibble at first, but as her heart pounded in anticipation that quickly turned into something more. She was at a loss how to respond, but he held her so close ly and controlled her so effortlessly that soon she knew exactly what to do.
She kissed him back.
Her lips gave in to his, yielding for him and yet at the same time eager to devour him for herself. The lightning continued to race inside her, setting fires inside her that burned in the most delightful way. It hardly mattered that she couldn't even breathe just now.
It must have mattered to Dovington, though. Eventually he pulled
"You? Well, that's what I wanted to discuss with you."
"I am eager to hear your opinion on the matter. Would you have me be more of a conversationalist like my cousin, or should I do better as a man of action?"
He was standing very close to her now and it was oddly difficult to breathe. She tried to raise her eyes up to meet his, but somehow her gaze remained stuck on the broad expanse of his chest and the powerful spread of his shoulders. He'd abandoned the full black attire she'd been used to seeing him in and today he wore crisp white linen, his cravat tied in a careless knot just below his chin. His chin... yes, she could get her eyes up to his chin and appreciate the firm set of his jaw, the amused quirk to his lips. Indeed, the man hardly needed to rely on conversation to highlight his appeal.
Action . Of course. That's what was needed where Miss Vandenhoff was concerned. Time was of the essence and clearly conversation was not the man's forte. He should simply sweep the heiress off her feet and have done with it. He must know how to do that, mustn't he?
"Conversation can only go so far, don't you think? Surely by now it is time for action, my lord."
Could it be possible that he was even closer to her now? She could feel the sun's heat radiating off of him. His eyes still sparked, but this time it was the smolder of dancing embers she saw in them. And they drew her. Where she hadn't been able to meet them before, now that she did she was held there, her gaze captured by his and perfectly content to remain there.
Too late, she realized his eyes weren't the only thing holding her. Somehow his hands had come up to touch her, to rest on her shoulders and bring her slowly toward him. She blinked, but that did nothing to break the spell she was under. The rest of the world suddenly seemed very, very far away and she was only aware of him.
"How about this action?" he asked softly, trailing his fingers over her shoulder, along her collar bone, and up to her cheek where he brushed her skin gently.
Her voice was hopelessly gone so she merely nodded. By heavens, if he were to do this to Miss Vandenhoff it would most certainly work in his favor!
"And perhaps even this?" he said, pressing her close against him as he stroked her lightly at the nape of her neck.
Oh, but she liked that. Of course she shouldn't like it, yet there was no denying that she did. The man might be an utter failure at conversation, but he certainly did know a thing or two about action. Her dratted eyelids seemed to forget that now was probably not the best time for her to be taking lessons from him. They drooped involuntarily, falling entirely shut as he pulled her tighter against his broad, heated body.
"And this?" he murmured.
First she felt his warm breath against her face, and then his lips touched hers. Sparks like tiny tingles of lightning flashed inside of her. They shot through her limbs, igniting her nerves and prickling outward through her skin. Her knees sagged and she wrapped her arms around the earl to keep herself from crumbling. Also, to keep him from ending this before she could fully comprehend what it was.
His lips brushed hers. She waited there, motionless, willing her eyes to open but happy they did not so she could concentrate fully on the man's lips. They gave merely a tentative nibble at first, but as her heart pounded in anticipation that quickly turned into something more. She was at a loss how to respond, but he held her so close ly and controlled her so effortlessly that soon she knew exactly what to do.
She kissed him back.
Her lips gave in to his, yielding for him and yet at the same time eager to devour him for herself. The lightning continued to race inside her, setting fires inside her that burned in the most delightful way. It hardly mattered that she couldn't even breathe just now.
It must have mattered to Dovington, though. Eventually he pulled
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